Configure Windows NuGet package paths in GitHub Actions

.github/workflows/build-cli-native-archives.yml

@@ -53,6 +53,11 @@ jobs:
       ASPIRE_CLI_CHANNEL: ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' && format('pr-{0}', github.event.pull_request.number) || (startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/heads/release/') || startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/heads/internal/release/')) && 'staging' || github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' && 'local' || 'daily' }}
 
     steps:
+      - name: Configure NuGet package cache (Windows)
+        if: runner.os == 'Windows'
+        shell: pwsh
+        run: Write-Output "NUGET_PACKAGES=${{ github.workspace }}/.nuget/packages" >> $env:GITHUB_ENV
+
       - name: Checkout code
         uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
 

.github/workflows/cli-starter-validation.yml

@@ -41,6 +41,11 @@ jobs:
     env:
       GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
     steps:
+      - name: Configure NuGet package cache (Windows)
+        if: runner.os == 'Windows'
+        shell: pwsh
+        run: Write-Output "NUGET_PACKAGES=${{ github.workspace }}/.nuget/packages" >> $env:GITHUB_ENV
+
       - name: Checkout PR head
         uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
         with:

.github/workflows/extension-e2e-tests.yml

@@ -459,6 +459,11 @@ jobs:
         shell: pwsh
 
     steps:
+      - name: Configure NuGet package cache (Windows)
+        if: runner.os == 'Windows'
+        shell: pwsh
+        run: Write-Output "NUGET_PACKAGES=${{ github.workspace }}/.nuget/packages" >> $env:GITHUB_ENV
+
       - name: Checkout code
         uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
 

.github/workflows/native-dashboard-validation.yml

@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ jobs:
         if: ${{ inputs.rid == 'win-x64' }}
         shell: pwsh
         env:
-          NUGET_PACKAGES: ${{ github.workspace }}/.packages
+          NUGET_PACKAGES: ${{ format('{0}/.nuget/packages', github.workspace) }}
         run: >
           ./dotnet.cmd test
           --project tests/Aspire.Dashboard.Tests/Aspire.Dashboard.Tests.csproj

.github/workflows/prepare-installer-artifacts.yml

@@ -91,6 +91,8 @@ jobs:
       - name: Smoke test installed CLI (aspire new + restore)
         if: ${{ inputs.installer == 'winget' }}
         shell: pwsh
+        env:
+          NUGET_PACKAGES: ${{ format('{0}/.nuget/packages', github.workspace) }}
         run: |
           $ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
           # winget added the shim under %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\WinGet\Links during the

.github/workflows/run-tests.yml

@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           echo "DOTNET_SCRIPT=.\dotnet.cmd" >> $env:GITHUB_ENV
           echo "BUILD_SCRIPT=.\build.cmd" >> $env:GITHUB_ENV
+          Write-Output "NUGET_PACKAGES=${{ github.workspace }}/.nuget/packages" >> $env:GITHUB_ENV
           echo "TEST_RUN_PATH=${{ github.workspace }}\run-tests" >> $env:GITHUB_ENV
           echo ${{ github.workspace }}\.dotnet >> $env:GITHUB_PATH
 
@@ -452,7 +453,6 @@ jobs:
         env:
           ASPIRE__TEST__DCPLOGBASEPATH: ${{ github.workspace }}/testresults/dcp
           BUILT_NUGETS_PATH: ${{ github.workspace }}/artifacts/packages/Debug/Shipping
-          NUGET_PACKAGES: ${{ github.workspace }}/nuget-cache
           PLAYWRIGHT_INSTALLED: ${{ fromJson(inputs.properties).enablePlaywrightInstall != true && 'false' || 'true' }}
           TEST_LOG_PATH: ${{ github.workspace }}/artifacts/log/test-logs
           TestsRunningOutsideOfRepo: true
@@ -580,7 +580,6 @@ jobs:
         shell: pwsh
         env:
           ASPIRE__TEST__DCPLOGBASEPATH: ${{ github.workspace }}/testresults/dcp
-          NUGET_PACKAGES: ${{ github.workspace }}/.packages
           PLAYWRIGHT_INSTALLED: ${{ fromJson(inputs.properties).enablePlaywrightInstall != true && 'false' || 'true' }}
           TESTCONTAINERS_HUB_IMAGE_NAME_PREFIX: 'netaspireci.azurecr.io'
           # Prevent the Roslyn compiler server (VBCSCompiler) from starting during tests.

docs/ci/TestingOnCI.md

@@ -14,6 +14,12 @@ The CI test infrastructure uses a unified matrix generation system that:
 
 For how MTP diagnostic arguments (hang dump, crash dump, etc.) flow through this pipeline, see [MTP Args Pipeline](mtp-args-pipeline.md).
 
+Windows GitHub Actions jobs that restore or consume NuGet packages use
+`${{ github.workspace }}/.nuget/packages`. Multi-platform jobs set
+`NUGET_PACKAGES` through `GITHUB_ENV` only on Windows so restore, build, and test
+steps share the same cache. Steps that are the only NuGet consumer set the
+variable at step scope. Linux and macOS retain their existing cache behavior.
+
 ## Architecture
 
 ```text